I found one of these doilies by accident and then went to their web site. http://www.yarnover.net/patterns/doi...rik/index.html
They are lovely. My questions are:
1. What size needle would you use? Lace or Regular needle?
2. What kind of yarn?
Since I crochet as well, my crochet buddies and my knitting friends at the LYS regular meeting night said size 10 crochet thread. The pictures look like yarn was used. There are some really nice crochet thread out there which would be like lace weight yarn. But it doesn't tell you how much or what to use. I am in a quandary as the favorite one of mine is the one they term as peacock feathers. It isn't the one I found but I think I will try and make a couple but what to use?????

A lace needle can be any size, they just have pointier tips is all. So you can use any needle size, usually one that's about 3-4 sizes larger than you would use to knit in stockinette with. Yarn can also be any weight, from crochet thread to fingering weight to worsted, it just depends if you want to use it for an actual doily or for a blanket or shawl. These are shown in thread, but I know Stor Rund Dug has been knit in yarn.

Use any size needle or yarn! It really depends on the use of the finished project. For a tablecovering or doily, the smaller needles and #10 or #20 threads are perfect and provide the best detail and stitch definition. Mercerized Cotton blocks the best and has a gorgeous sheen. I use alot of Valley Cotton products from Yarn.com (WEBS).

Then, some people make them into blankets from needles anywhere from size 4(US) to 8(US) and worsted weight yarns.

Mary, your work is beautiful! Thank you for all the help and advice. I will have to experiment a bit because I have a couple of nice pieces of yarn and some nice thread and the choice will be interesting.

Mary, your work is beautiful! Thank you for all the help and advice. I will have to experiment a bit because I have a couple of nice pieces of yarn and some nice thread and the choice will be interesting.

Thanks...sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread...

One thing I've found when you're doing these...the more stockinette, the more yarn/thread you'll use. I generally try to have no less than 1200-1400 yards when I start a circular knit. Sure hope you'll enjoy the knit lace beauties as much as I do!

Great advice from the site that Labeelady mentions. It refers to Emily Ocker's cast on. I tried it for the first time last week and I really recommend it, allows you to cinch up the hole in the center created when you first start a circular knit.

To see the thread used for these doilies, go to this site, http://www.kunststrik.dk/ and click on "Bo's Garn" in the right column. (Garn= yarn) Then click on "English translation" to read about it. It's not cotton but mulberry silk! Gorgeous!

It's fascinating to me that these round doilies were placed under kerosene lamps to spread and intensify the light.

I have a book by Gloria Penning titled "Old World Treasures" featuring the work of Lillie Meitler that has many (21) patterns for lace doilies. One of these days I'm going to do some lace work, but this book is really good.

That cast on method in crochet is called the magic ring. I use it all the time when making doilies and when starting a project requiring a chaining of sts joined with a sl st. Yes, it does eliminate the hole.
Here is a link to a video on YouTube. Google has change their look a bit.http://video.google.com/videosearch?...itle&resnum=5#
Notice there a several different names given to it. I guess we crocheters can't make up our minds, lol.
I guess I won't be using silk if it will take that much yarn. It also eliminates some special yarn I have but not enough of. To bad as it has a nice sheen and is so light reflecting.